Cat burglars: Toyota Prius exhausts stolen in broad daylight

Police have warned of targeted catalytic converter thefts, with the Toyota Prius being particularly vulnerable

catalytic converter cat theft

Police have warned of targeted catalytic converter thefts, with the Toyota Prius being particularly vulnerable. The thieves are bold, targeting cars in broad daylight, as the Twitter video below shows.

Although this issue isn’t new, the latest warning comes from Hertfordshire Police. In the St Albans area alone, there have been a 21 recent incidents, with six in Welwyn, three in North Hertfordshire and one in Stevenage.

 

The thefts themselves are executed with the pace and precision of an F1 pit stop. Mere seconds pass while the car is jacked up and the exhaust is removed.

catalytic converter cat theft

The crime in the video took place in East London. But such thefts are on the rise across the UK, with more than 900 cases reported to police in 2018.

Why are catalytic converters being stolen?

catalytic converter cat theft

Catalytic converters are exhaust filters that contain precious metals, including gold and platinum. They can be worth hundreds of pounds.

Certain cars, such as the Prius, have them positioned in a way that’s easy to access – hence the rise in related crime.

One idea for closing the market to thieves is to ban difficult-to-trace cash transactions at scrap yards.

Related Articles

Ethan Jupp
Ethan Jupp
I'm Content Editor at MR. Road trips music and movies are my vices. Perennially stuck between French hot hatches and Australian muscle cars.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Find a Car Review

Latest

New Taycan Turbo GT is Porsche’s most powerful road car ever

With a power output in four figures, the new flagship Taycan Turbo GT has already been breaking lap records.

How to make a safe U-turn

A U-turn is a 180-degree turn in the road, so your car ends up facing in the opposite direction. Here is how to make the manoeuvre safely.

Playmobil creates a safari-ready classic Porsche 911

Off-road 'safari' conversions of the Porsche 911 are popular in the real world, so Playmobil has built a toy version.

How to protect your car with an OBD port locking device

We explain how to prevent your car being stolen by criminals targeting its On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) port.